The potential risks of opening the mind’s eye with psychedelic therapies
Koenig-Robert, R., Keogh, R., & Pearson, J. (2025). The potential risks of opening the mind’s eye with psychedelic therapies. Cortex, 191, 167–171. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2025.08.002
Abstract
Psychedelic therapy is on the rise, as its legalisation is ongoing in multiple countries. Here, we write a note of warning regarding recent reports that people with aphantasia (a blind mind’s eye) have acquired visual mental imagery after using psychedelics. While the prospect of gaining, or indeed increasing, visual mental imagery is appealing to many, strong mental imagery has been associated with a range of mental conditions. How ‘switching on’ visual imagery in people with aphantasia or increasing its strength in neurotypical individuals might impact mental health remains unknown. We advocate for increased awareness of this issue and its ethical implications, particularly regarding informed consent.
Authors
- Roger Koenig-Robert2
- Rebecca Keogh15
- Joel Pearson30
Overview/Introduction
Psychedelic therapy is gaining popularity as more countries move towards legalizing its use. This emerging field has shown promise in various areas of mental health, but recent reports have raised intriguing questions about its effects on individuals with aphantasia—a condition where people are unable to visualize mental images. Some individuals with aphantasia have reported acquiring visual mental imagery after using psychedelics. While this might sound exciting, it's important to consider the potential mental health implications. This research paper highlights the need for increased awareness and ethical considerations, especially around informed consent.
Methodology
The paper explores anecdotal reports and existing literature to understand how psychedelics might enable people with aphantasia to experience visual mental imagery. It suggests that the attentional effects during psychedelic experiences could play a role. Essentially, focusing on visual imagery while under the influence of psychedelics might help individuals recognize and enhance their capacity for visualization once the experience ends. The authors emphasize that these findings are preliminary and call for more research to understand the underlying mechanisms.
Key Findings
Some people with aphantasia have reported gaining the ability to visualize mental images after using psychedelics.
The enhancement of visual imagery might be linked to the profound changes in brain function that occur during psychedelic experiences.
Paying attention to visual imagery during these experiences might help individuals with aphantasia tap into residual imagery capacity, which is typically not noticeable.
Implications
The potential to "switch on" visual imagery in people with aphantasia or enhance it in others could have significant implications for mental health. Strong mental imagery is associated with various mental conditions, and altering one's imagery capacity might affect mental well-being. This raises important ethical questions about the use of psychedelics, particularly concerning informed consent. People should be fully aware of the possible changes to their mental imagery and the associated risks before undergoing psychedelic therapy.
Limitations
The current understanding of how psychedelics affect visual mental imagery is based on anecdotal reports and limited research. More studies are needed to verify these findings and explore the mechanisms behind them. Without this knowledge, it's challenging to predict the long-term effects on mental health, making it crucial to approach this area with caution.